Written Answers Monday 16 June 2008

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11408 by Shona Robison on 18 April 2008, how many of the 51 off-sales tested within the Lothian and Borders police force area were within the Lothians parliamentary region, broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. However, information obtained from Lothian and Borders Police suggests that all of the 51 off-sales tested were within the West Lothian area as part of the first phase of the force’s roll-out of test purchasing.

Alcohol Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11408 by Shona Robison on 18 April 2008, how many of the 17 off-sales that failed during test purchases of alcohol within the Lothian and Borders police force area were within the Lothians parliamentary region, broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. The information provided in response to question S3W-11408 was supplied by the Scottish Police Service and related to test purchase visits conducted to the end of March as part of the first phase of the roll-out in the Lothian and Borders Police area in West Lothian.

Alcohol Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-11408 by Shona Robison on 18 April 2008, how many of the 17 off-sales that failed during test purchases of alcohol in the Lothian and Borders police force area were re-tested and how many (a) passed and (b) failed and, of those that failed, how many had their licences revoked, also broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally. However, information obtained from Lothian and Borders Police suggests that, in line with the arrangements laid down by Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland in the Manual of Guidance for the Test Purchase of Alcohol in Scotland, all 17 premises which failed on the first visit were subsequently revisited. This resulted in (a) 14 passes, and (b) three failures resulting in one licence being suspended for 12 months and one for one month. One hearing is still to be conducted. All the premises concerned were in the West Lothian area.

Alcohol Misuse

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers have had their licence to sell alcohol (a) suspended or (b) revoked in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Kenny MacAskill: Only four years of data is available for the number of liquor licences suspended. This is because this information was not collected before 2003. The number of off-sales liquor licences suspended in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 is given in the following table:

  

Local Authority
2003
2004
2005
2006


Aberdeen City
0
0
0
0


Aberdeenshire
0
0
0
0


Angus
0
0
0
1


Argyll and Bute
0
0
0
0


Clackmannanshire
0
2
0
0


Dumfries and Galloway
0
0
0
0


Dundee City
2
0
0
0


East Ayrshire
0
0
0
0


East Dunbartonshire
0
0
0
2


East Lothian
0
0
0
0


East Renfrewshire
0
0
0
0


Edinburgh, City of
3
1
1
1


Eilean Siar
0
0
0
0


Falkirk
0
2
0
0


Fife
0
0
0
5


Glasgow City
0
1
1
1


Highland
0
0
0
0


Inverclyde
0
0
0
0


Midlothian
0
0
0
0


Moray
0
0
0
0


North Ayrshire
0
0
0
1


North Lanarkshire
1
0
4
2


Orkney Islands
0
0
0
0


Perth and Kinross
0
0
0
0


Renfrewshire
0
0
0
0


Scottish Borders
1
0
0
0


Shetland Islands
0
0
0
0


South Ayrshire
0
0
0
0


South Lanarkshire
0
1
1
1


Stirling
0
0
1
0


West Dunbartonshire
0
0
0
0


West Lothian
0
0
0
1


Scotland
7
7
8
15



  The legislation under which these licences were granted does not make provision for the revocation of a licence. However, legislation has recently been passed which does make such a provision and will come fully into force in 2009.

Alcohol Misuse

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of the selling of alcohol to underage drinkers.

Kenny MacAskill: Reducing the incidence of illegal sales to underage drinkers is a key priority for the Scottish Government as evidenced by our decision to roll-out alcohol test purchasing arrangements across Scotland. The benefits of this are now being seen as licensing boards the suspend licences of rogue retailers caught breaking the law.In addition, the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 increases the penalties associated with underage sales from a £1,000 fine to a £5,000 fine or a three month jail sentence or both. The act also introduced Licensing Standards Officers who will ensure that licensed premises are operating in accordance with their licence conditions. The 2005 act comes fully into force in September 2009.

Children and Young People

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are made to involve children and young people in planning services for them by (a) NHS boards, (b) local authorities and (c) the Executive.

Adam Ingram: The government is committed to involving children and young people in influencing policy and service delivery. We are taking forward a range of specific consultations designed for young people, working in partnership with the wider youth sector.We are also encouraging local authorities to consult with children and young people as part of their wider community engagement on service delivery. Community Planning Partnerships have a statutory duty to engage with young people in their area.Locally it is up to NHS health boards to engage their stakeholders. Our Better Health Better Care action plan will prompt fresh thinking on how we involve and engage with patients, including children and young people.

Class Sizes

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how Highland Council’s proposal to reduce teaching staff at Brora Primary School, thereby increasing class sizes in the school, accords with the Scottish Government’s stated aim of reducing class sizes.

Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13804 on 12 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Community Planning Partnerships

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many spending plans of community planning partnerships have been submitted for approval.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many spending plans of community planning partnerships it has approved.

John Swinney: None. Responsibility for the implementation of community planning sits with the partnerships themselves and it is up to individual partnerships to decide how they consider financial planning, within the overall context of Scottish Government priorities.

Community Planning Partnerships

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when a report on the spending plans of community planning partnerships will be published.

John Swinney: There are no plans at present to publish such a report. Responsibility for the implementation of community planning sits with the partnerships themselves and it is up to individual partnerships to decide how they consider financial planning, within the overall context of Scottish Government priorities.

Council Tax

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the provisions for individuals who do not pay their council tax by direct debit or lump sum differ from those who pay by such methods.

John Swinney: Different circumstances will apply depending on how individuals pay their council tax and on procedures in place in each council area. The arrangements in each area are a matter for individual councils, in line with the statutory provisions governing the administration and enforcement of council tax.

Cycling

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its participation will be in National Bike Week, which takes place from 14 to 22 June 2008.

Stewart Stevenson: There will be a series of promotional events held in the core Government buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These will include information stands from Trycycling in Edinburgh and Bike Station. There will also be two maintenance sessions at Bike Station in Leith.The focus of this year’s internal Bike Week promotion is to encourage novice riders to try cycling. To support this we will promote cycle training and the two events being held by Trycycling in Edinburgh on 21 and 29 June.A full events calendar will be available for all government staff through our local intranet, including details of the Edinburgh Bike Week Film Festival.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the full inclusion of deaf parents in their children’s education at nursery, primary and secondary level.

Maureen Watt: Local authorities are under a duty to involve all parents in their children’s education and, in doing so, should take account of any communication needs that the family may have. The guidance for local authorities on the implementation of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 states that "families are not to be discriminated against on grounds of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, language, faith or belief and age." The guidance also makes clear that "education authorities should take into account factors that may act as barriers, discourage or inhibit parents’ involvement in their children's education or with the school."A toolkit providing further advice on the implementation of the act also includes a checklist for authorities to consider when drawing up their strategies for parental involvement. This refers to the need to consider parents whose circumstances make it difficult for them to be involved in their children’s education.

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure the full inclusion of deaf parents in decisions regarding their children’s health care.

Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that arrangements, which meet the needs and are suitable to the age of the child, are put in place to ensure appropriate inclusion of deaf parents in decisions about their children’s health care.I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11279 on 16 April 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Deaf and Hearing Impaired People

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to assist deaf parents in accessing child care and parenting information and support.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is committed to providing support to all parents, including those who are deaf or who have a disability.Services for parents include the Scottish child care website www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk which provides links to local child care information services and a range of parenting support organisations and websites. Local authorities and voluntary organisations offering child care and parenting information are responsible for accessibility policies in relation to those specific services.Under the Disability Discrimination Act, any organisation providing services to the public (including local authorities and voluntary and private sector organisations) must not discriminate against disabled people in the way they provide their services. This may include making "reasonable adjustments" to the way services are delivered in order to enable access.

Dentistry

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13438 by Stewart Maxwell on 3 June 2008, what percentage of people were registered with an NHS dentist in each parliamentary constituency in the South of Scotland region in each of the last five years, broken down by age group.

Shona Robison: The information requested is only available from March 2007. The tables present information as at March, June, September and December 2007. They do not represent the percentages of people in each parliamentary constituency who are registered. Registrations (numerator) are based on the postcode of the practice where the patient has registered with a general dental practitioner. The population (denominator) is based on where the patient resides, in this case the Scottish parliamentary constituency. In some cases, the number of registrations may exceed the actual number of "people" in the chosen population.Percentage of People Registered with an NHS dentist; by Age Group in Each Parliamentary Constituency in the South of Scotland Region

  March 2007

  

Scottish Parliamentary Constituency
Age Group


0-2
3-5
6-12
13-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+
Total


%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%


Ayr1.
74.8
131.4
134.2
127.1
104.7
110.6
114.6
108.9
98.4
85.2
57.9
103.1


Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
20.1
33.5
41.1
39.8
26.8
27.9
30.8
29.9
26.4
23.9
17.6
28.9


Clydesdale
30.7
56.4
65.9
64.7
51.3
51.3
54.2
50.4
46.3
39.6
29.9
49.9


Cunninghame South
34.9
55.7
63.6
63.5
50.4
55.1
54.2
53.8
50.5
44.4
32.7
52.1


Dumfries
30.8
76.0
82.5
79.9
58.9
43.8
45.5
42.0
38.8
35.8
25.3
47.6


East Lothian
25.2
58.6
63.4
64.3
45.4
36.9
33.1
31.6
29.4
28.7
25.3
38.0


Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
31.8
55.1
61.7
55.9
45.2
36.0
33.2
30.6
28.0
26.6
21.5
35.2


Roxburgh and Berwickshire
19.7
46.7
54.5
58.5
31.7
16.6
15.0
13.6
13.7
15.8
16.2
22.9


Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
38.3
72.9
73.6
75.3
65.4
56.6
57.8
56.6
57.3
60.5
48.5
59.9



  June 2007

  

Scottish Parliamentary Constituency
Age Group


0-2
3-5
6-12
13-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+
Total


%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%


Ayr 
76.3
131.2
135.9
127.2
106.2
111.2
115.1
109.5
99.2
85.5
59.1
103.9


Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
20.9
33.9
41.1
39.7
27.8
28.6
31.0
30.2
27.3
24.7
18.3
29.4


Clydesdale
31.1
57.4
66.6
64.3
52.4
51.4
54.5
51.1
46.8
40.2
31.4
50.5


Cunninghame South
36.7
55.9
64.5
64.6
50.6
56.1
54.6
54.8
50.7
45.3
33.7
52.9


Dumfries
30.2
80.5
83.7
83.2
62.5
47.8
48.6
45.4
42.0
39.3
27.7
50.6


East Lothian
25.2
58.3
62.9
63.7
45.0
35.5
31.9
30.9
28.5
28.1
24.9
37.2


Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
31.9
56.2
61.2
56.0
47.4
38.0
33.9
31.7
29.4
28.4
22.8
36.3


Roxburgh and Berwickshire
20.1
47.7
54.8
58.1
33.3
16.7
15.1
13.8
13.6
16.4
16.4
23.1


Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
36.8
70.2
73.4
75.7
65.8
57.4
57.3
57.3
58.1
61.6
49.9
60.2



  September 2007

  

Scottish Parliamentary Constituency
Age Group


0-2
3-5
6-12
13-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+
Total


%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%


Ayr 
75.7
136.5
139.5
130.8
112.1
116.3
118.7
113.8
103.2
89.9
63.0
108.0


Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
21.8
34.6
42.4
41.6
29.7
29.7
32.0
31.6
28.4
26.1
19.8
30.7


Clydesdale
31.8
60.7
68.8
67.2
54.7
53.3
56.3
53.2
48.8
42.9
33.9
52.7


Cunninghame South
39.2
59.4
66.8
67.1
53.8
59.0
56.5
58.0
53.0
47.3
36.8
55.5


Dumfries
34.5
89.2
91.8
90.9
70.4
53.3
53.7
51.3
48.1
46.2
34.2
57.0


East Lothian
25.1
59.2
63.8
65.4
46.7
35.3
31.8
31.3
29.3
28.7
25.4
37.8


Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
28.2
54.7
58.1
53.6
47.3
38.0
33.1
29.7
27.8
25.7
21.0
34.6


Roxburgh and Berwickshire
20.4
50.4
56.8
60.1
36.4
17.3
15.6
14.7
14.1
17.3
18.0
24.3


Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
35.9
68.5
74.3
76.2
67.3
58.1
57.5
59.0
59.8
63.7
52.1
61.3



  December 2007

  

Scottish Parliamentary Constituency
Age Group


0-2
3-5
6-12
13-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
75+
Total


%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%


Ayr 
76.3
139.4
143.0
135.3
119.8
121.9
122.2
117.1
106.1
92.6
65.7
111.7


Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
21.9
35.8
43.5
42.3
31.9
31.5
33.3
33.1
29.4
27.2
22.0
32.1


Clydesdale
33.8
63.1
70.9
70.0
58.5
57.4
58.7
56.3
51.1
45.3
36.0
55.4


Cunninghame South
39.9
61.5
68.7
70.3
57.8
62.9
58.9
60.2
55.1
49.3
39.6
58.0


Dumfries
34.7
96.6
97.5
99.2
78.4
59.5
58.7
57.0
52.3
50.8
39.3
62.5


East Lothian
25.1
58.3
64.4
67.5
49.4
35.6
32.6
31.9
29.7
29.0
26.6
38.5


Galloway and Upper Nithsdale
27.2
53.1
54.3
51.2
48.8
38.2
32.3
29.7
27.7
26.1
22.1
34.2


Roxburgh and Berwickshire
22.9
54.9
61.0
65.2
37.7
18.3
16.3
15.7
15.4
19.7
20.7
26.2


Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale
35.7
68.2
74.0
76.0
68.2
59.4
57.3
59.6
59.3
63.6
53.6
61.5



  Source: ISD Scotland.Note: 1. Registrations (numerator) are based on the postcode of the practice where the patient has registered with a general dental practitioner as opposed to the postcode of the patient. The population (denominator) is based on where the patient resides, in this case the Scottish Parliamentary Constituency. In some cases, the number of registrations may exceed the actual number of "people" in the chosen population.

Drug Misuse

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent by NHS boards on tackling drug misuse in 2007-08.

Fergus Ewing: £23.7 million was allocated to NHS boards in 2007-08 for drug treatment and rehabilitation services. A further £2.5 million was allocated to support the work of alcohol and drug action teams.NHS boards may also use some of their unified budget for drug treatment services. For example, the costs and fees for methadone mixture in 2006-07 amounted to £12.6 million.£2 million was also allocated to NHS boards in 2007-08 to provide treatment and care to those affected by hepatitis C, the vast majority of whom will be current or former drug users.

Drug Misuse

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be spent by NHS boards on tackling drug misuse in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 in (i) real and (ii) cash terms.

Fergus Ewing: £24.6 million has been allocated to health boards in 2008-09, from the Justice portfolio alone, for drug treatment and rehabilitation services. A further £2.65 million has been allocated to health boards in 2008-09 to support the work of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams.The spending review proposes that, subject to parliamentary approval, £32 million in 2009-10 and £32.8 million in 2010-11 from the Justice portfolio is allocated to tackling drug misuse. A decision will be made in due course about how much of these monies will be allocated to health boards.£3.7 million has been allocated to health boards in 2008-9 to provide treatment and care to people affected by hepatitis C, the vast majority of whom will be current or former drug users. The spending review proposes that, subject to parliamentary approval, £13.6 million in 2009-10 and £19.4 million in 2010-11 will be made available to treat people affected by hepatitis C.Health boards may also use resources from their unified budget for drug treatment services. The work by the Auditor General on the scale and effectiveness of drugs expenditure will give us a better understanding of how much money is spent by local partners on drug use.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Stuart McMillan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drivers in East Dunbartonshire have been charged with driving while under the influence of drink or drugs over the last three years for which figures are available.

Kenny MacAskill: The recorded crime data held centrally has the number of crimes recorded by the police and the number recorded as detected (that is, there is sufficient evidence to justify consideration of criminal proceedings). We cannot provide any information on the number of people involved in crimes, since it is possible that individuals may be responsible for more than one of the crimes recorded. The available information is shown in the following table.

  Number of Crimes of Driving a Motor Vehicle While Unfit through Drink or Drugs, or Driving with Blood Alcohol Content Above Limit, Detected by the Police in East Dunbartonshire, 2004-05 to 2006-07

  

  
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07


Driving motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs
14
15
12


Driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit
73
81
99


Total
87
96
111

Environment

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when its carbon balance sheet for transport will be published.

Stewart Stevenson: Scotland’s National Transport Strategy (NTS) commits us to publishing the carbon balance sheet for transport as part of its first review which will commence in 2010-11. The balance sheet is currently being developed, with a view to having a working draft prior to the NTS review.

Environment

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what change took place in road traffic levels in 2007 and what impact this change will have on greenhouse gas emission levels.

Stewart Stevenson: Road traffic level data for 2007 are produced by the Department for Transport and will not be available until August 2008. Greenhouse gas emission level data from the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory for 2006 and 2007, will not be available until autumn 2008 and autumn 2009 respectively.The latest period for which data is available for both the change in Scottish road traffic levels and the change in Scottish greenhouse gas emission levels is 2004 to 2005. Between 2004 and 2005, road traffic levels increased by 13 million kms (0.03%) and road transport greenhouse gas emissions grew by 70KtCO 2e (0.7%).

Ferry Services

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public funding was given to Superfast Ferries prior to 2002 to encourage introduction of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry service.

Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-13764 on 13 June 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ferry Services

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether public funding was given to Superfast Ferries from 2002 onwards to maintain or improve the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry service and, if so, how much.

Stewart Stevenson: Public funding totalling £2,958,955 has been provided to Superfast Ferries since 1 April 2002.

Ferry Services

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has held with Argyll and Bute Council and representatives of the Jura community over disruption to the ferry serving Jura as a result of problems with vessels berthing at Port Askaig on Islay and efforts to prevent such disruption in future.

Stewart Stevenson: No discussions have taken place with representatives of the Argyll and Bute Council or Jura Community Council on this matter. It is the council’s responsibility to resolve any conflict between the works it has commissioned at Port Askaig and the operation of its own ferry services to Jura during very low water conditions. I understand that the council is currently reviewing the timetable for its Jura service to ensure that an appropriate service can continue to be provided and has begun trials on the use of the new fixed ramp.In the meantime, I am pleased to note that CalMac Ferries Ltd, following consultation with the Jura Community Council, has agreed to divert until further notice the 1800hrs sailings from Kennacraig to Port Ellen on Mondays and Fridays from Port Askaig, where the vessel previously remained berthed overnight, enabling overnight emergency cover to be maintained to Jura.

Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what processes exist to support NHS boards to fund treatments for very rare (ultra-orphan) diseases and whether these include a risk-sharing scheme for funding.

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it has made to support access to treatment for patients with extremely rare (ultra-orphan) diseases.

Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for planning and delivering services to meet the health needs of their resident population, funded through the general annual allocation. This includes funding the costs of orphan and ultra-orphan drugs which have been approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, or where there has been a positive outcome following an exceptional case review.NHS boards operate collective risk share arrangements for a defined range of services or therapies where the incidence of the condition to be treated is unpredictable and sporadic and where the effect is so financially significant that individual NHS boards could be at financial risk. A small number of orphan drugs are included in these arrangements.

Health

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance exists to help NHS boards to identify rare (ultra-orphan) diseases and provide adequate and effective care for patients who have been diagnosed with such diseases.

Shona Robison: The diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases is a matter for health care professionals. NHS boards are responsible for planning and delivering services to meet the health care needs of their resident population.

Health

Bill Kidd (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have received direct payments for social care in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Shona Robison: This information is available from the latest statistics release, Direct Payments Scotland 2007 , which was published on the Internet on 25 September 2007. The document can be found using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/Publications .A copy is also available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 43799).The Scottish Government is committed to radically improving the uptake of self-directed support. I recently convened a roundtable on self-directed support to inform government strategy in this area which will consider practical tools to achieve this aim.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were employed in (a) universities and (b) colleges in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2005-06 and (iv) 2004-05.

Fiona Hyslop: The number of staff at Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) and colleges during the past three academic years is shown in the table below. The table includes both academic and non academic staff.

  Number of Staff at Scottish Institutions

  

Academic Year
HEIs
Colleges


2006-07
38,295
21,586


2005-06
37,865
21,504


2004-05
37,000
21,615



  Sources: HESA – excluding "atypical" staff; Scottish Funding Council.The academic year 2006-07 is the latest year for which this information is available.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student places were available in (a) universities and (b) colleges in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2005-06 and (iv) 2004-05.

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many student places were unfilled in (a) universities and (b) colleges in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2006-07, (iii) 2005-06 and (iv) 2004-05.

Fiona Hyslop: (a) Higher Education Institutions:Each year the Scottish Funding Council funds a number of places, expressed as full-time equivalents (FTE), in universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs), these are generally available to UK and other EU residents. HEIs are independent bodies who are free to recruit further students, from outside the EU when they can charge the full cost of providing the course, or, within certain limits, from within the EU when they would still be able to claim fees from the Student Awards Agency for full time students.

  The following table shows the number of funded places for undergraduates and taught postgraduates at Scottish HEIs, and the number of students eligible for funding for the last four academic years.

  

 
Funded Places
Students Eligible for Funding


Academic Year
(FTEs)
(FTEs)


2007-08
127,788 
139,060 


2006-07
124,826 
135,099


2005-06
121,778 
132,254


2004-05
120,653 
131,788 



  Source: Scottish Funding Council; funded places includes places funded by the Scottish Government.For all HEIs in Scotland taken as a whole there were therefore in each year more places taken up than funded. Within the overall funding framework institutions have some flexibility in the courses they provide, in response to demand. The total number of any places that remain unfilled at course level is not held centrally.(b) CollegesColleges are not funded for a specific number of student places. Funding is allocated on the basis of activity delivered – a weighted number of teaching hours (WSUMs).

  The total number of WSUMs targeted and delivered is shown in the following table.

  

 
Teaching Activity Target
Teaching Activity Delivered


Academic Year
(WSUMs)
(WSUMs)


2007-08
2,301,703
Not Yet Available


2006-07
2,274,409
2,322,054


2005-06
2,172,311
2,215,861


2004-05
2,213,710
2,306,176



  Source: Scottish Funding Council; the measurement method changed between 2004-05 and 2005-06; strategic growth target of 20,000 WSUMs from 2006-07 not included.In all the above years delivery across Scotland exceeded targets. As there is not a fixed number of student places set for colleges it is not possible to say how many places were unfilled.

Higher Education Funding

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that outlining £40 million of efficiency savings from converting loans to grants precludes the forthcoming consultation regarding the use of the additional £30 million announced for student support in 2010-11.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has made clear its intention to move from student loans to a system of means-tested grants. To support this, we have allocated £30 million in 2010-11 to begin this transition. £40 million is the projected efficiency saving that would be made a result of this policy change. By consulting on these issues later this year, we will open up a number of other possible scenarios. Should another option emerge as a preferred approach then this will be factored into our efficiency projections accordingly.

Higher Education Funding

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the £192 million of Scottish Funding Council efficiency savings do not lead to cuts in services at universities and colleges.

Fiona Hyslop: As noted in its Efficiency Delivery Plans - May 2008, for the 2008-11 Efficiency Programme , the Scottish Government plans to deliver cash releasing efficiencies by delivering an actual resource efficiency through colleges and universities which will provide the same service at a reduced cost.These arrangements will ensure that there are no reductions in the volumes or quality of learning and research associated with funding for universities and colleges as a result of the efficient government programme.This measure will contribute to Scottish ministers overall target of delivering a 2% increase in cash-releasing efficiencies each year amounting to £1.6 billion in 2010-11.

Higher Education Funding

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to what "output(s)" refers in the description of the Scottish Funding Council’s efficiency saving in Efficiency Delivery Plans - May 2008, for the 2008-11 Efficiency Programme .

John Swinney: The key outputs from further and higher education are derived from the already well-established arrangements whereby, in return for the main recurrent grants paid to colleges and universities:institutions are required to deliver defined volumes of learning provision, and research-related funding reflects the volume and quality of research undertaken.As noted in Efficiency Delivery Plans - May 2008, for the 2008-11 Efficiency Programme , the Scottish Government plans to deliver cash releasing efficiencies by delivering an actual resource efficiency through colleges and universities which will provide the same service at a reduced cost.

Higher Education Funding

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the efficiency savings planned for the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council will be made in either the next three financial or academic years.

Fiona Hyslop: Efficiency savings planned by both the Students Awards Agency for Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council will be made in each of the three financial years up to 31 March 2011.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that more women and ethnic minority appointments are made to the High Court.

Kenny MacAskill: Since 2002 appointments to the office of judge have been made on the recommendation of the independent Judicial Appointments Board. The board’s remit includes considering ways of recruiting a judiciary which is as representative as possible of the community they serve.

  The board has set up a Diversity Working Group to assist them in fulfilling this aspect of their remit. The group is tasked with gathering evidence in relation to diversity among the legal profession, and considering ways for increasing the proportion of people from under-represented groups who apply for judicial office, reportings its findings to the board. The Scottish Government is supporting the board in this work.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of appointments to the bench at all levels since May 2007 have been (a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities and how this compares with each of the previous three years.

Kenny MacAskill: The information about female appointments requested is set out in the following table.

  % of Female Appointments

  

 
2007-08
2006-07
2005-06
2004-05


Judges
0
0
33%
20%


Sheriff Principal
Note 1
Note 1
0
Note 1


Sheriffs
0
17%
43%
9%


Part-time Sheriffs
Note 1
30%
33%
Note 1


JPs (new Ministerial Appointments)
Note 1
41%
48%
31%



  Note: 1. No appointments made in this period.None of those appointed during the period declared him or herself to be from an ethnic minority. (This information was not routinely requested in appointments to the office of justice of the peace before 2005-06.)

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it expects long-term conditions action teams in community health partnerships to engage with condition-specific (a) specialist teams or (b) nurse specialists where a managed clinical or care network has not been established.

Shona Robison: That would be a matter for each community health partnership to decide in the light of local circumstances. We expect people with long-term conditions to be provided with services which integrate general and specialist care as locally as possible.

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all members of the long-term conditions action teams in community health partnerships will be expected to work across all long-term conditions or whether they will be permitted to sub-specialise.

Shona Robison: That is a matter for each community health partnership (CHP) to decide in the light of local needs and arrangements and the wishes of those providing services. The guiding principle must be that services in each CHP should be designed to meet as effectively as possible the care needs of those living with long-term conditions.

NHS Staff

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether condition-specific nurse specialists currently employed within community health partnerships will become members of long-term conditions action teams.

Shona Robison: That would be for each community health partnership to decide. People with long-term conditions should be supported by a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency team capable of addressing their needs through services provided locally wherever possible.

NHS Waiting Times

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13536 by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 June 2008, whether it has any future plans to collect information centrally on the number of operations cancelled in each NHS board due to a lack of beds.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are currently no plans to collect this information centrally. Some NHS boards will be able to provide reasons for cancellations from their own local systems.

Prescription Charges

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults living in families with incomes below £16,000 per annum are currently paying prescription charges.

Shona Robison: We estimate that around 600,000 adults living in families with annual income below £16,000 are currently liable to pay prescription charges.

Prison Service

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been caught trying to break into prisons in the last five years, broken down by prison.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:There have been no people caught trying to break into Scottish prisons in the last five years.

Public Transport

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that community transport organisations continue to be able to deliver essential services to disadvantaged or isolated people who rely on such services.

Stewart Stevenson: From 1 April 2008, funding for community transport services has been included in the block local government finance settlement. It is, therefore, for local authorities to decide community transport requirements in their areas and allocate funding accordingly.

Public Transport

Alison McInnes (North East Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to assist local authorities facing substantially increased running costs for ferry and bus services as a result of rising fuel prices.

Stewart Stevenson: It is for individual local authorities to consider how best they can address the funding pressures generated by rising fuel prices across the full range of their services, including the increased costs of providing particular transport services.Under the arrangements set out in the concordat the Scottish Government is in regular contact with COSLA on a range of issues affecting local authorities.

Public Transport

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what bus services have been (a) initiated and (b) terminated in the Lothians since May 2007.

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what rural bus services have been approved or introduced since May 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: This is a matter for the Traffic Commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area. The information requested is not held centrally. The Traffic Commissioner is the licensing authority for the bus industry in Scotland and applies the regulatory regime. Operators are legally required to register their local services with the Commissioner. The Traffic Commissioner can be contacted at: J Floor, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9SE.

Rail Services

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what new rail services have commenced to or from Edinburgh since May 2007.

Stewart Stevenson: New rail services that have commenced to or from Edinburgh since May 2007 are detailed below:

  May 2007 timetable

  First ScotRail services:

  New service: 2037 Edinburgh – North Berwick

  Existing services with additional calls included from May 2007 timetable:

  0804 Edinburgh – North Berwick calling additionally at Musselburgh

  1758 North Berwick – Edinburgh calling additionally at Musselburgh

  December 2007 timetable.

  First ScotRail services:

  Existing services with additional calls included from December 2007 timetable:

  2210 Edinburgh – Glasgow calling additionally at Uddingston and Cambuslang

  2242 Edinburgh – Glasgow calling additionally at Uddingston and Cambuslang (operates Saturday only).

  Transpennine Express services:

  New services: 0722 Manchester Airport – Edinburgh

  1127 Manchester Airport – Edinburgh

  1327 Manchester Airport – Edinburgh

  1527 Manchester Airport – Edinburgh

  0821 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport

  1152 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport

  1552 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport

  1752 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport.

  May 2008 timetable

  First ScotRail services:

  New services:

  0645 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street (both directions)

  1915 Edinburgh – Glasgow Queen Street (both directions)

  Hourly Glasgow – Alloa service providing a connection at Stirling to Edinburgh.

  Existing service with additional calls from May 2008 timetable:

  1726 Edinburgh – Stirling extended to Bridge of Allan and Dunblane

Renewable Energy

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns about the lengthy delays facing developers of small-scale renewable energy schemes in connecting to the local and national electricity grid system; what discussions it has had with power companies, Ofgem, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the National Grid and others about these delays, and what action it is taking to minimise these delays.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is sympathetic to the concerns of small-scale renewable energy scheme developers over delays in connecting to the electricity grid. We consider that delays in gaining connections to the grid system place a significant barrier in recognising the huge potential of our renewable energy sector. Our view is that change is required both in grid management and in the current system of "queuing".Responsibility for connections to the Transmission network is a matter primarily for the UK Government. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has, in conjunction with the industry regulator Ofgem, been conducting a review of grid access arrangements over the last several months in which we are participating.We are also in continuous discussions with BERR, National Grid and the owners of the Transmission Network in Scotland, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy, on these issue and are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that the system for connections does not involve unnecessary delays for viable projects. These discussions are continuing at both official and ministerial level.

Renewable Energy

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to development of hydropower plants of less than one megawatt and what action it is taking to ensure that such plants can gain connection to local and national electricity grid systems as quickly as possible.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government believes that the current grid queue is a constraint to renewables development in Scotland. We will continue to engage with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), National Grid and other stakeholders and press for a more sensible grid regime which gives priority access to projects with relevant planning consents and financing in place.New hydropower plants of all sizes are eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland).

Renewable Energy

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the particular concerns of small-scale renewable energy scheme developers on islands such as Jura, Islay and Colonsay about difficulty in being able to connect to the mainland national grid.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recognises that grid reinforcements will be necessary if we are to capitalise on Scotland’s renewables potential, especially in more remote areas such as the Highlands and Islands, where the resource is often strongest.We also believe that a more flexible approach to grid management could have a positive impact at both a transmission and distribution network level and could help to unlock significant renewables potential, prior to grid upgrades. We are participating in the current Transmission Access Review and urging the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to quickly and effectively resolve this issue.

Renewable Energy

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts that a loch-fed mini hydro electric scheme of less than one megawatt is approximately half as costly to build and run as a wind farm per unit of annual production.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is committed to developing a diverse clean energy mix, one which includes both hydropower and wind.We do not hold commercial information relating to the cost of developing loch-fed mini hydro schemes. However, the proposals for banding of the renewables obligation do reflect, more generally, the relative costs and maturity of different technologies.

Renewable Energy

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it believes that there is a potential for hundreds of loch-fed mini hydro electric schemes, especially in the Highlands and Islands, if transmission issues can be overcome.

Jim Mather: We believe there is significant potential for further hydro development in Scotland. The Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS) has commissioned a Scottish Hydro Resource Study which is examining the scale and location of this potential. The Study is due for completion shortly, with the Forum expected to report to ministers later in the summer.The Scottish Government will continue to engage with National Grid, Ofgem and other key stakeholders to seek solutions to transmission issues, including those affecting the development of future hydro schemes.

Renewable Energy

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative electricity generation proposals is it considering, other than onshore and offshore wind generation.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is supporting the development of a diverse mix of renewable energy technologies through a range of initiatives. This includes providing capital grant support for wave and tidal energy, biomass and hydrogen fuel cells projects, and our proposed amendments to the Renewables Obligation (Scotland), which will provide additional support for a range of emerging technologies.Under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, we are currently considering proposals for eight hydro power projects and one tidal energy project.

Scottish Government Cabinet

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when (a) it and (b) the Cabinet has received legal advice since May 2007.

Kenny MacAskill: It is the practice of successive governments, reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code and the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that the fact and content of legal advice is not revealed.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, students received full financial support in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2004-05.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table shows the number of students receiving full support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) in academic years 2004-05 to 2006-07. This number is also shown as a percentage of all students who receive any support from SAAS and as a percentage of all higher education students at Scottish higher education institutions and colleges.

  

Academic Year
Students Receiving Full Support from SAAS
% of Students Receiving Any Support from SAAS [1]
% All Higher Education Students at Scottish Institutions [2]


2004-05
28,370
24
10


2005-06
35,460
29
12


2006-07
35,310
29
12



  Source: Student receiving support SAAS, higher education students Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC). Student numbers are rounded to the nearest five and percentages to the nearest whole number.Notes:[1] "Students receiving any support" includes Scottish students studying at institutions elsewhere in the UK and EU domiciled students. "Any support" refers to tuition fees, tuition fee loans, awards or maintenance loans.[2] "All Higher Education students at Scottish institutions" include part-time students, international students and all postgraduate students studying in Scotland, not all of whom are eligible for funding from SAAS.Students receiving full support have been defined as those who are: 1. Receiving the maximum Young Students bursary,2. The maximum Young Students Outside Scotland bursary,3. The maximum Students Outside Scotland bursary,4. Aged 25 or over and are receiving maximum maintenance loan, or5. Aged less than 25, are exempt from parental or spousal contribution to their support and are receiving maximum maintenance loan.Nursing and midwifery bursary scheme students are not included in the numbers receiving support from SAAS. Figures for academic year 2007-08 are not yet available.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support was provided to students in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2004-05, broken down by (i) household income and (ii) numbers of students in each income band.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table shows a breakdown of the number of higher education students receiving any form of support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and the amount of support received by parental/spousal income for academic years 2004-05 to 2006-07.

  

Academic Year
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07


Income Band
Number of Students
Amount £000
Number of Students
Amount £000
Number of Students
Amount £000


Income not Declared/Required
37,740
68,494
39,200
70,822
40,135
77,415


< £10,000
12,105
60,897
11,690
59,535
11,180
58,768


£10,000-£19,999
14,360
69,137
14,160
70,713
13,735
71,754


£20,000-£29,999
13,200
54,555
12,700
54,251
12,115
54,262


£30,000-£39,999
10,740
36,499
10,345
36,215
10,005
37,234


£40,000-£49,999
7,050
18,831
7,305
20,460
7,160
21,696


£50,000-£59,999
3,555
8,034
3,700
8,421
3,865
9,604


£60,000-£69,999
1,635
3,332
1,905
4,026
2,075
4,854


£70,000-£79,999
740
1,490
810
1,582
940
2,092


£80,000-£89,999
290
561
400
771
485
1,032


£90,000-£99,998
180
347
215
414
270
587


£99,999 and above
455
884
570
1,128
655
1,408


Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution
18,475
94,451
18,240
95,310
19,365
100,123


Total
120,525
417,511
121,235
423,648
121,990
440,829



  Source: SAAS. Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest five and monetary amounts to the nearest 1,000.Student are included in the table if they receive any form of support i.e. tuition fees, (or tuition fee loans if they study outside Scotland) and/or awards and/or maintenance loans. Income bands are based on residual parental or, in the case of students who are married or in a civil partnership, spousal income. This is income after deductions allowed by SAAS have been subtracted. This table does not include students on the nursing and midwifery bursary scheme. Academic year 2006-07 is the latest for which figures are available.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students received any financial support from government in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2004-05.

Fiona Hyslop: The table below shows the total number of higher education students receiving any support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) in academic years 2004-05 to 2006-07.

  

Academic Year
Number of Students Receiving Any Support


2004-05
120,525


2005-06
121,235


2006-07
121,990



  Source: Student Awards Agency for Scotland.Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.In the table "any support" is defined as tuition fees (or tuition fee loans if they study outside Scotland) and/or awards and/or maintenance loans. These figures do not include nursing and midwifery bursary scheme students. Academic year 2006-07 is the latest for which figures are available.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students will receive any financial support from government in each of the next three years if earnings rise as it anticipates, broken down by household income.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not produce estimates/forecasts on earnings growth with respect to student support. However, irrespective of how earnings may rise in the next three years, the number of Scottish students receiving support would be unaffected as under current funding rules all eligible students are entitled to at least a non-means tested loan.

  The latest year for which data are available for students receiving some form of support is for 2006-07. The table below provides data on the number of Scottish students receiving support from Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) in 2006-07 by parental/spousal residual income after allowable deductions. In 2006-07, 114,610 Scottish students received some form of support.

  

Income Band
2006-07


Income Not Declared/Required
34,300


< £10,000
11,180


£10,000 - £19,999
13,735


£20,000 - £29,999
12,115


£30,000 - £39,999
10,005


£40,000 - £49,999
7,160


£50,000 - £59,999
3,865


£60,000 - £69,999
2,075


£70,000 - £79,999
940


£80,000 - £89,999
485


£90,000 - £99,998
270


£99,999 and Above
655


Exempt from Parental/Spousal Contribution
17,830


Total
114,610



  Source: SAAS.Note: Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest five and monetary amounts to the nearest 1,000.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students will receive any financial support from government in each of the next three years if earnings rise at the average rate for 2007-08, broken down by household income.

Fiona Hyslop: The latest year for which data are available for students receiving some form of support is for 2006-07. Similarly, 2006-07 is the latest year for which data are available for average earnings. The data show that median weekly earnings rose by 3.1% in the year to April 2007.

  Irrespective of how earnings may rise in the next three years, the number of Scottish students receiving support would be unaffected as under current funding rules all eligible students are entitled to at least a non-means tested loan. The table below provides data on the number of Scottish students receiving SAAS support in 2006-07 by parental/spousal residual income after allowable deductions. The table also shows how these data would look if average earnings rose by 3.1% (figure based on growth in average median weekly earnings in the year to April 2007) in each of the subsequent three years. In 2006-07, 114,610 Scottish students received some form of support.

  

Income Band
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10


Income not Declared/Required
34,300
34,300
34,300
34,300


< £10,000
11,180
10,635
10,140
9,755


£10,000 - £19,999
13,735
13,390
13,170
12,940


£20,000 - £29,999
12,115
11,815
11,255
10,820


£30,000 - £39,999
10,005
10,030
10,270
10,220


£40,000 - £49,999
7,160
7,250
7,365
7,565


£50,000 - £59,999
3,865
4,285
4,640
5,005


£60,000 - £69,999
2,075
2,240
2,450
2,545


£70,000 - £79,999
940
1,115
1,310
1,485


£80,000 - £89,999
485
540
555
710


£90,000 - £99,998
270
305
375
385


£99,999+
655
880
945
1,050


Exempt from Parental Contribution
17,830
17,830
17,830
17,830


Total
114,610
114,610
114,610
114,610



  Source: SAASNotes:Constant Student Numbers are assumed.The total number of students in the system has not changed.Student numbers have been rounded to the nearest five.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time students will receive full financial support from government in each of the next three years if earnings rise as it anticipates.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not produce estimates/forecasts on future earnings growth with respect to student support. Therefore, there are no estimates available on how many students will receive full financial support in the future.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time students will receive full financial support from government in each of the next three years if earnings rise at the average rate for 2007-08.

Fiona Hyslop: The following table shows the number of students receiving full support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) in academic year 2006-07. It also shows the approximate number of students in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 who would receive full support if earnings rose by the 2006-7 average of 3.1% (based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ASHE).

  

Academic Year
Students Receiving Full Support from SAAS


2006-07
35,310


2007-08
35,267


2008-09
35,154



  Source: Students receiving support, SAAS, higher education students, Higher Education Statistics Agency and Scottish Funding Council. Student numbers are rounded to the nearest five and percentages to the nearest whole number.Notes:1. "Students receiving any support" includes Scottish students studying at institutions elsewhere in the UK and EU domiciled students. "Any support" refers to tuition fees, tuition fee loans, awards or maintenance loans.2. Constant student numbers are assumed from one year to the next.Students receiving full support have been defined as those who are: 1. Receiving the maximum Young Students bursary,2. The maximum Young Students Outside Scotland bursary,3. The maximum Students Outside Scotland bursary,4. Aged 25 or over and are receiving maximum maintenance loan, or5. Aged less than 25, are exempt from parental or spousal contribution to their support and are receiving maximum maintenance loan.Nursing and midwifery bursary scheme students are not included in the numbers receiving support from SAAS. Figures on student numbers for academic year 2007-08 are not yet available. Similarly, earnings data beyond 2006-07 are not yet available. Also, income thresholds for 2009-10 have yet to be determined.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of full-time students who will see reductions in the financial support that they receive from government in each of the next three years due to efficiency savings in SAAS eligibility.

Fiona Hyslop: We have not made such estimates as the efficiency savings have not been calculated in this way. These efficiencies have been calculated based on the trends from recent years as SAAS has seen a reduction in the proportion of students applying for and receiving loan funding.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the income thresholds for young student bursaries, student loans and additional student grants.

Fiona Hyslop: We will be consulting later this year on proposals to move from loans to grants and on a minimum guarantee for students. As part of that exercise we will be seeking stakeholders’ views on the current income thresholds.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates will be spent providing new-lend student loans and how much will be received from student loan repayments in each of the next three years.

Fiona Hyslop: The forecasts for Student Loans included in the Spending Review 2007 are as follows:

  

 
2008-09(£000)
2009-10(£000)
2010-11(£000)


Student Loan Issues
180,300
184,700
188,700


Student Loan Repayments
-56,000
-60,000
-64,000


Net New Lending
124,300
124,700
124,700

Student Loans

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Student Loans New Lending budget line represents a direct cost to the Scottish Government.

Fiona Hyslop: No. Student loans are classified as annual managed expenditure which is agreed with and met in full by the Treasury each year.

Student Loans

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it has made of rising rates of earnings over the next three years when calculating its £12.748 million of efficiency savings under the SAAS Eligibility budget line.

Fiona Hyslop: We have not made such estimates as the efficiency savings have not been calculated in this way. These efficiencies have been calculated based on the trends from recent years as SAAS has seen a reduction in the proportion of students applying for and receiving loan funding.

Teachers

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase the number of trainee teachers to meet future demand.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government carry out an annual teacher workforce planning exercise to estimate future requirements for teachers and the number of new teachers that require to be trained. That exercise is overseen by a Group with representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Association of Directors of Education, The General Teaching Council for Scotland, teacher unions, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education Higher Education Institutes and the Scottish Funding Council. We are currently working with higher education institutions to deliver on current forecasts of 20,000 new teachers in training by 2011.

Teachers

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13207 by Maureen Watt on 3 June 2008, how many of the teachers completing their probationary years will have permanent teaching posts in August 2008, broken down by local authority.

Maureen Watt: Local authorities are responsible for the employment of teachers and the form of contract. The information requested is not held centrally. It is also unlikely that local authorities will have finalised their staffing allocations for next session at this time of year.We have provided a record funding settlement of £34.9 billion over the spending review period. Under the terms of the concordat we have agreed specific arrangements and sufficient funds for local authorities to maintain teacher numbers at the 2007 level against a backdrop of falling school rolls. Those arrangements will provide increasing opportunities for probationer teachers to find employment.

Wind Farms

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has undertaken into radar mitigation near to prospective wind farm sites.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has not undertaken any studies into radar mitigation near to prospective wind farm sites. But we are in regular discussion with developers, communities, airport operators, aviation organisations and the Ministry of Defence on mitigation pans and are supporting a UK initiative to promote solutions to the impact of wind farms on aviation safety.

Wind Farms

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received regarding radar mitigation near to prospective wind farm sites.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government recommends that developers engage with aviation organisations and airport operators at an early stage in the design process. It is the responsibility of the developer and the relevant aviation consultee to develop a solution that can be applied in each case.

Wind Farms

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with aviation and airport stakeholders regarding radar interference from proposed wind farms.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is working with UK Government departments and aviation bodies such as the Civil Aviation Authority, National Air Traffic Services and Scottish airports.The discussions seek to promote general solutions to potential radar interference from proposed wind farms, although it is for individual developers to promote solutions in specific cases.

Wind Farms

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it has commissioned into radar interference from proposed wind farms.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has not commissioned any studies into radar interference from proposed wind farms.